2008 Jeep Liberty Bottom Line

By  Rex Roy, Editor

TheCarConnection.com’s automotive experts researched reviews from the Web’s most respected sites and combined these findings with our own to compile this conclusive appraisal of the 2008 Jeep Liberty. If you’re genuinely looking for a five-passenger vehicle that is ultra-capable off-road, this mid-size Jeep is worthy of consideration even in the face of stiff competition from traditional SUV competitors and car-based crossover vehicles.

It’s a curious thing about the 2008 Jeep Liberty--expert reviews of the new, larger second-generation model ranged from tepid praise to downright harsh. But even after poking hot sticks at the SUV’s quality gaffes, most concluded that the Liberty is actually a capable SUV that offers plenty of fun and safety. Their criticisms reveal something important about SUVs; there are subsets to this huge segment of vehicles, and it’s important to know what you want your vehicle to do while you’re evaluating alternatives.

For example, most SUVs and car-based crossovers are not designed for genuine off-road romps. The Jeep Liberty is. However, its capability comes at a price; the Jeep’s on-road ride and handling are not as carlike as some other SUVs that couldn’t begin to keep up with the Liberty off road. Its 3.7-liter V-6 is torquey enough, but acceleration is nothing special, nor is fuel economy.

Outside the Jeep Liberty’s much crisper appearance is a masculine twist on the former version, which was more softly rounded. The interior is restyled, with some of the materials that get complaints from TheCarConnection.com’s writers, but plenty of cool features, such as a music hard drive system, have been installed.

It’s important for SUV shoppers to know what they want their truck to do. In other words, pick the right tool for your job, and you’ll probably be happy with your choice. If you’ll never go off road in a million years, consider other SUVs. There are plenty of SUV-ish crossovers out there. However, if you’re apt to put a wheel on a trail or have another genuine need for the kind of performance that the Liberty provides, spend some time in one and you’ll be impressed.